Reinier de Ridder is not shying away from looking ahead after his crucial victory at UFC Abu Dhabi.
De Ridder recorded his maiden UFC main event victory at the first time of trying Saturday in the Middle East, as his high activity since jumping ship from ONE Championship to the UFC continued.
Headlining UFC Abu Dhabi, De Ridder defeated Robert Whittaker via split decision for the biggest scalp of the Dutchman’s short Octagon career thus far. And the former two-division ONE Championship titleholder made it clear what he wants next: a shot at the winner of Dricus du Plessis’ defense against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319.
But it’s more than just his next fight that De Ridder has an ambitious plan for…
Reinier de Ridder likes the idea of defending the UFC middleweight title against Israel Adesanya
Appearing on ESPN’s UFC Fight Night Post Show, De Ridder reflected on his fourth UFC triumph and looked ahead to his future in MMA’s leading promotion.
In addition to having his work cut out convincing the UFC that he should be next in line for whoever emerges from Chicago’s United Center as middleweight king on August 16, De Ridder may struggle to secure his “dream” matchup for a potential first title defense down the line.
The Dutch grappling specialist pointed to former two-time UFC champion Israel Adesanya as a fight he would love to have after winning the belt.
“Crazy year. Four fights, three finishes, almost finished Rob. Life is good,” De Ridder said.
“I’m a top-five guy now. So, yeah, I would say Dricus, I would say Khamzat (next). … I’m thinking of Dricus (winning at UFC 319). He has the Dutch genes, like me. I think Dricus, but we’ll see.
“Adesanya would also be nice. That is a dream matchup,” De Ridder continued. “That would be a nice first title defense.”
Reinier de Ridder’s plan may be too ambitious
De Ridder’s hopes for a title shot could be dashed when a pair of top contenders duke it out in what is expected to serve as a title eliminator.
‘The Dutch Knight’ will be hoping for shenanigans or an unconvincing result when Nassourdine Imavov fights Caio Borralho at UFC Paris this September. And when it comes to a showdown with Adesanya, that could be equally ambitious.
‘The Last Stylebender’ finds himself far from the title picture, with many even calling for the two-time champion to hang up the gloves.
Adesanya was knocked out by Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia this past February, and many pointed to that as the result that pushed the legend out of the championship conversation for good.